Cold, Dark Night
by WunderGurl
Summary: POSSIBLE ADDITION TO THIS STORY??? **A Short Fic --- Kay takes a moment to reflect on her past as she gazes through the window before her departure from Harmony. *A/N* This is my first fic on here...please R/R! Thanks! =) *COMPLETE*
1. The Night

*Disclaimer:* I don't own anybody in these stories, but I do own the ideas and the words. If you like it, and want to use it for something, just ask and I'll most likely say "yes".  
  
Hope you all enjoy! Please R/R! Thanks!   
  
  
  
It was cold.  
  
Cold and dark.  
  
But she wouldn't turn back.  
  
Couldn't turn back.  
  
She had convinced herself that there was nothing left for her there.  
  
That place.  
  
Her home.  
  
Wait, take that back, her "house".  
  
That place where she was supposed to feel safe and secure had turned into foreign territory.  
  
In the past, it was her safe haven, the place where she could close the door on the world around her and not have a care in the world.  
  
The place where she would spend all night telling scary stories, under a bed sheet, with a flashlight to her little sister.  
  
The place where she and her brother would play hide-and-seek. And every time, she'd hide under her parent's bed, thinking she'd found the best hiding spot in the world. Her brother would wait outside his parent's door and let his little sister think she fooled him again.  
  
The place where she and her mother would spend all afternoon on the day before Christmas baking tomato soup cakes for every other family in Harmony.  
  
The place where she and her daddy would throw around the baseball every afternoon after her father came home from work.  
  
The place where she shared secrets and laughter with her best friend.  
  
Her best friend.  
  
He was her world.  
  
Whenever she felt like she couldn't go on, He was the one thing in this life that kept her sane.  
  
Now, he was the reason for her "insanity".  
  
She turned her head and watched her family through the window.  
  
They didn't notice she was gone.  
  
They never even seem to notice her when she's present either.  
  
But, it's all behind her now.  
  
No turning back.  
  
No turning back.  
  
They'll know soon enough.  
  
But, not soon enough for them to catch up to her.  
  
They probably wouldn't notice for a few hours.  
  
Or days.  
  
Heck, maybe even a week or two. She wouldn't put it past them.  
  
Turning from the window, she pulled her coat around her shoulders and shivered.  
  
So cold.  
  
So dark.  
  
The truth was, she couldn't recall a more beautiful night than the one she was witnessing at that moment.  
  
She loved when the leaves would float off the trees in the fall. It was the first sign of the approaching winter months.  
  
She inhaled the biting cold air and took in the smell of the snow.  
  
It was beautiful. A little surreal, though.  
  
Ironic, too.  
  
A "person like her" (as her mother so lovingly named her) didn't deserve to witness a beautiful night like this.  
  
But, she wasn't going to dwell on what was said in the past.  
  
She clutched her bag in her hands and took one last look into the window.  
  
They were all there.  
  
She saw her sister and her "ex-boyfriend" snuggled up on the living room sofa.  
  
She saw her Uncle, the man that she considered her "rock", laughing at something her father at said.  
  
Her father, her Daddy, was huddled in the corner sharing a joke with his baby brother. She loved seeing him smile.  
  
Through the window, she gazed upon the face of her half-brother. Though she hadn't spent much time with him in the past, she knew he was a genuine and sincere man. He stood in the corner, one arm draped around her uncle's shoulder, sharing the laugh with his father.  
  
She turned her head to focus her attention on one side of the room.  
  
There, she saw her "best friend". The man she would give anything and everything for. He was standing beside her other "best friend", the girl who so easily turned her back at her through her darkest of days, and the two were immersed in a conversation about who knows what.  
  
Then, she saw her.  
  
The girl that ruined everything.  
  
The girl that waltzed in her life and claimed it for herself.  
  
She took her room.  
  
Her car.  
  
Her sister.  
  
Her friends.  
  
Her mother.  
  
Her Love.  
  
Her Life.  
  
She took it all, yet never realized.  
  
One face was missing among those she observed.  
  
No matter though.  
  
It was a face she could care less ever seeing again.  
  
The face that once held such love and such pride for her.  
  
The face that she looked for in the stands before every baseball game.  
  
The face that would kiss her "goodnight" every single evening.  
  
The face that would greet her with a smile and a sparkling eye before sending her off to school in the morning with a packed lunch, that always included a little extra something to munch on her way home from school.  
  
How that face had changed.  
  
It became the face that now held only contempt and disgust every time she walked in the room.  
  
The face with pursed lips and narrowed eyes that met her every morning.  
  
The face that never came around at bedtime anymore.  
  
She turned on her heel for the last time and sighed.  
  
It was time to find a new set of faces.  
  
Ones that would appreciate her.  
  
Accept her.  
  
Be proud of her.  
  
Smile at her.  
  
Love her.  
  
She took the first step of her long journey and stepped into the night.  
  
The cold, dark night.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****************  
  
"Aunt Grace?"  
  
"Mom, what's wrong?"  
  
"Honey, what is it?"  
  
"Mrs. Bennett, are you okay?"  
  
The missing face soon appeared.  
  
This time with tears streaming down it.  
  
In her trembling hand she clutched a piece of pink paper.  
  
"It's Kay." She whispered. "She's gone."  
  
The other people in the room all gasped and a look of shock washed over everyone's face as they each allowed the words to sink in.  
  
Rushing to her side, Sam grabbed the note from his wife's hand and read each word. It was short, to the point, and tore his heart to pieces.  
  
He fell to his knees and buried his face in his hands, not being able to control the sobs that were escaping his throat.  
  
His baby girl was gone.  
  
Jessica rushed to her father's side and picked up the note where he had dropped it. She read the note with a lump in her throat. When she finished, she walked to the sofa and shook her head. Sure, she and her sister had drifted apart, but she never in the world thought that she would actually have a reason to leave. To leave her.  
  
But the sister, her only sister, was gone.  
  
He paced the room as thoughts began to flood his mind. Why would she have left? What happened? Could I have stopped it? They were questions his once- best friend could only answer. But she was now no where to be found. The girl that was by his side through thick and thin, no matter what. The girl whom he had grown with, shared with, loved with.  
  
His friend, his best friend, was gone.  
  
He ran a hand through his thick, blonde hair and sighed. He couldn't believe that it got this far without him noticing. It was like she was a completely different person now. Back then, he was her confidant. Whenever she needed to talk, he was the first one she would come running to. She knew she could come to him with anything, ANYTHING, but he didn't see this coming. It was like she didn't think he'd still care. But, he did. The girl that forced him to grow up and take responsibility of his actions was no longer there to set him straight.  
  
His little angel, his niece, was gone.  
  
What had happened? As her only "real" friend, she knew she was going through a tough time, but what led her to actually leave? She used to joke about getting out of this town and away from everyone, but it never crossed her mind that she meant it. This wasn't supposed to turn out this way. Not like this. This is too far. She wasn't supposed to leave.  
  
Her forever friend, for life, was gone.  
  
The little he truly knew about her intrigued him. He knew that his feelings for her were never mutually returned, but he stood beside her anyhow. There was a part of her that was hiding from the world, at least they had that in common. She was his dream girl. The one that only his mind could conjure up. But to him, she was real, and she was his. He couldn't imagine that the smile that made him melt would no longer grace his days.  
  
His love, his first love, was gone.  
  
  
  
Granted, they were never really close. But, she never had a sister, so what did she know about a sibling relationship? At least she thought that she was a sister. She looked up to her, thought of her as someone who just needed a push in the right direction. Maybe she wasn't perfect, but who was? It had to be some kind of evil that forced her to leave town. That was the only explanation that she could think of. She would never have the opportunity to get to know the real person behind the mask her cousin wore.  
  
Her cousin, her beautiful cousin, was gone.  
  
He never really had the chance to get to know her. It was a mission of his to learn more about his newly acquired sister, but now he would never have the chance to. There was something about her, behind her eyes, he always wondered what was there. He hoped that one day he'd be able to find out. He was never close with his other "sisters". They were always off in one boarding school or another, so he wasn't able to be the protective older brother to anyone. He was hoping he'd have the chance to with her, but now he knew the time would never come.  
  
His sister, the girl he wanted to protect, was gone.  
  
After what seemed like hours of contemplation, every person awoke from their own thoughts, and all their eyes focused their attention to one person, and one person only.  
  
She stood there with a tear-stained face. Tiny whimpers escaped her mouth as she realized what she had truly lost. The little girl who would cling to her waist as they walked to the park every Saturday. The tiny little nose she would kiss every night while tucking her into bed. The girl who would light up her soul with a smile and a hug every morning. And, though she may not have acted like one recently, she admitted that she lost her little princess.  
  
Her daughter, her once-most cherished possession, was gone.  
  
All the people in the room saw that face and the woman who wore it sink to the ground in misery. That face, her face, the one that once held contempt, now only wore sorrow and guilt.  
  
That face turned and looked out through the window.the very same one which had been looked through, from the outside, only minutes before.  
  
She searched through the glass. Nothing was out there.  
  
Nothing but the winter night.  
  
The cold, dark night. 


	2. Fatigue

The biting cold air sunk through the layers of Kay's coat and clothing. It was as if she could feel her bones begin to freeze over, but the searing burn from the cold night would not hinder her from getting as far away as she could from the people in that house. There was nothing that could stop Kay Bennett from continuing her travels.  
  
Nothing.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"Where am I?"  
  
Kay asked the question to no one in particular as she pulled her coat and scarf closer to her body. She'd been walking in the snow for what seemed like hours, but she could not tell which direction she was heading. The night's visibility was barely a few feet, and the fact that she was almost frozen over didn't help but add to her frustration.  
  
A hundred feet ago, she passed what seemed to be the façade of a building, but Kay was not positive as to which building she had brushed her hand up against. All she knew was that it was made of brick, but almost every building in Harmony was made of brick, so the knowledge of the structure's material helped little. She continued on her journey, not sure where she was going or if she was getting anywhere. If fate had had its way with Kay, she would have walked completely full circle, and end up standing on her front porch, but Kay Bennett wouldn't allow fate to take a hold of her life anymore. She was making her own destiny.  
  
Screw fate.  
  
She didn't believe in it, not anymore at least. If someone would have asked her if she believed in the dreaded 'fate' a couple months ago, she would have been as eager to answer "yes" as Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald would, but not anymore. No. Kay Bennett was through with all things that had to do with fate, destiny, and love.  
  
She didn't have anyone now. No one there, but her own self.  
  
And her child.  
  
Her child.  
  
Not Miguel's.  
  
No. The child that she carried in her womb belonged solely to Kay. Though this child was conceived from two people, its only true parent would be her. The only one who would raise it, feed it, clothe it, care for it, love it, would be her. The moment she stepped foot outside the door of her childhood home, Kay knew that she was no longer a member of that family, no longer a daughter, no longer a sister, no longer a friend. She and her child were going to have to make a life for themselves, together. 'Just you and me, baby.' Kay thought as she placed a hand on her belly.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"Grace?"  
  
"Aunt Grace?"  
  
"Mom?"  
  
She heard the voices but could not, did not respond. The only thing that occupied her thoughts was the face of her eldest daughter. Grace Bennett placed her hands in her head and shed tears of agony.  
  
"It's all my fault." She whispered between sobs, "everything. It's all my fault."  
  
"No, Aunt Grace," Charity stood and walked toward her Aunt to comfort her, "you musn't blame yourself. It's no one's fault."  
  
"No," Grace looked into the eyes of her niece, "it IS my fault."  
  
Sam Bennett stared out the window of his home and watched as the blizzard raged outside. His mind was racing since he had found out that his little girl had run out into the same storm he was watching. He had rushed to the phone, as soon as he had gotten over the initial shock, to let his men know that his daughter was missing. If it weren't for the three feet of snow outside, Sam would have climbed into his truck and plowed through the snow to find his daughter, but in the last half-hour all the roads were closed and the pathway to his driveway was blocked by snow, as was his front door.  
  
He was trapped. Trapped without a way to get to his little girl.  
  
His wife's words echoed in his mind as he recalled the argument Kay and Grace had earlier that evening. Sam cringed when his memory recalled his wife's eyes burn with rage at their eldest daughter, and Kay's eyes widen as her mother's hand made contact with her cheek. Sam cursed himself for not putting a stop to this before it got to be that serious. His daughter felt threatened in her own home, and his wife had resorted to using her hand to physically punish her own child. He didn't pretend to comfort his wife when she had blamed herself, for part of Sam wanted to put the blame on Grace as well. But, he couldn't help but feel partly to blame. He hadn't done anything when he saw the pain in his daughter's eyes. He had dismissed it all as some petty teenage problem, nothing more than a love-sick girl. But, Sam wanted to hit himself for being so naïve, for not listening to his paternal instincts. He turned to watch as Charity tried to console his weeping wife, and his eyes turned toward a figure that was huddled in the corner of his living room. Part of Sam Bennett wanted to rush over to that figure and throw him up against the wall, pummeling him into a pulp, but another part of the father wanted to reassure his daughter's childhood friend that Kay would be alright. Sam watched as the man in the corner lifted his head with pain in his eyes.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
'God?' Miguel lifted his eyes toward the heavens as his heart cried out for his friend, 'please don't take her from me!'  
  
Miguel ran a hand through his hair and rested his head back against the wall behind him. So much had happened that evening. So much had taken place that shouldn't have. So many regrets filled his mind as he sat there in agony. He thought back to his conversation with Kay earlier that night, and he grimaced with guilt as he recalled his words to her.  
  
"Not right now, Kay." Miguel coldly spoke, "Can't you see that I'm trying to talk to Charity? Why can't you leave me alone?"  
  
STUPID.  
  
Utterly stupid.  
  
That was how Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald felt as the memory of that night flooded his mind. How could he be so cold, so callous toward her? It wasn't like Miguel to push Kay aside.  
  
Was it?  
  
Miguel sunk into the hard corner with a groan. In all the years he's known Kay Bennett, Miguel never would have imagined her leaving her home, her family, but most of all, leaving him. No, this couldn't be happening, it couldn't.  
  
But, it is.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"Uncle, Hank?"  
  
Jessica Bennett watched as her uncle, the one who's always been closest with her sister, sat on her family's sofa with a crease in his forehead.  
  
"Uncle, Hank?" She inquired once more to her unresponsive uncle, "can I get you something? A drink? Something?"  
  
"Jess, I don't want anything." His voice, low and soft, resounded in the silent room.  
  
"Please," Jessica pleaded, "I need to do something. Someone, please give me something to do!"  
  
In her anger and frustration, Jessica pounded her fist onto the wall, and was surprised to see that the force she exerted was strong enough to place a dent in the living room wall. Jessica jumped back in astonishment, though the others in the room did not even flinch at the sight.  
  
"Jess, honey," Reese Durkee pushed his glasses higher onto his nose, and walked toward his girlfriend, "don't take it out on the wall."  
  
"I can't help it, Reese," Jessica sighed as she sunk into his embrace, "why did she have to go? Why did she leave me?"  
  
"I don't know, Jess," Reese tried desperately to calm her down, "I don't know."  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
That phrase was repeated over and over by Kay's oldest brother. Ethan paced back and forth on his father's living room floor as he spoke once again.  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
Albeit, Ethan didn't understand a lot these days, but this topped the list. He knew that Kay had been distraught over her situation, what nineteen-year- old girl wouldn't be? But, how was it that she had gotten so upset, that she thought the best thing to do was to leave?  
  
In the middle of a raging blizzard, nonetheless.  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Kay walked on into the night as she felt the chill run down her spine for the millionth time. She knew that it was getting late, or rather early into the morning hours, because the clock in her mother's hall had chimed in that it was midnight, just before Kay left the house.  
  
Her eyes were growing weary, and her pace had slowed down quite considerably. The fatigue hadn't hit her until that moment, and as her eyelids fought to stay open, Kay Bennett's heart still urged her to soldier on. It wasn't until a few moments after, her thoughts began to slowly fade into a dark abyss, and she felt her knees, beneath her, grow weak. Her eyes could stay open no longer, and her head began to spin as did her surroundings. The last picture that flashed in her mind was that of the gray-stone fountain that sat in the center of Lighthouse Park. Kay felt her body and mind collapse with exhaustion, and seconds later there was nothing but the darkness.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
*A/N* I hope you guys liked this little add-on to the first chapter. This story was intended to be a "one-shot" kinda thing, but I had gotten so many reviews and e-mails asking for more, that I simply couldn't resist. So, here you are! Please r/r, feedback is what keeps me going! =) Thanks! 


End file.
